The invention pertains to the art of tree processors or mobile tree harvesters and especially the type referred to as tree length harvesters having a felling head which shears a tree at the ground and holds it upright and then pivots it to a horizontal position for delimbing and topping.
A tree length harvester of this type is disclosed in the copending application U.S. Ser. No. 363,936, filed May 25, 1973, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,407 claiming priority based on Canadian application Ser. No.: 163,290 filed Feb. 6, 1973, by inventors Ian McKenzie et al and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Its operation is in a sequence that permits the felling head to return for a second tree while the cut tree is being delimbed and topped. This substantially reduces the over-all processing time per tree and increases the productivity of the machine.
In order to cycle the delimber while returning the felling head for a second tree, it is necessary to clamp the tree. But no clamp has heretofore been devised that functions properly on a tree length harvester and without interfering with the simultaneous processing of trees.